GANNET. 355 



white birds with black wing tips may be seen floating easily 

 with wide-spread pointed wings, tacking and sailing, without 

 apparent effort, adjusting their aerial pose to benefit by every 

 wind. Sonie birds are black, or black and white, for the 

 plumage varies greatly with age. In mastery of the air even 

 the Eagles, Kite and Buzzard cannot excel it, nor is the 

 Falcon's stoop more impressive than its headlong plunge into 

 the sea. Its great expanse of wing, exceeding six feet, carries 

 it lightly, high above the waves as it watches for fish below ; 

 with half-closed wings it shoots down obliquely, then closing 

 them entirely plunges into the water with a mighty splash ; the 

 dive may start two or three hundred feet above the wafer. It 

 brings no fish to the surface ; the prey is captured and 

 swallowed before it reappears, and, flapping heavily for a few 

 yards, catches the breeze and sweeps easily upward. How 

 deep it dives we cannot tell, nor do we know if it chases fish 

 beneath the water ; at times, however, it wall mount but a few 

 feet before again turning and diving. Herrings and other 

 shoal-swimming fish are its main food, but it will swallow the 

 spine-armed gurnards without difficulty. 



The Gannet is noticeably most plentiful in spring and autumn, 

 for there is a distinct southward migration for winter. After the 

 breeding season, from August onward, most of the Gannets 

 wander southv.'ard, following migratory fish ; they are pelagic 

 but go where fish are abundant. The bird travels regularly on 

 both passages along our west and east coasts. The northward 

 passage is, as the spring advances, more direct and purposeful ; 

 I have seen small parties streaming past the Northumberland 

 shores all day long, flying low, undulating over the waves, 

 doubtless heading for the Bass. In spite of these migrations 

 and oceanic wanderings, when the birds remain on or above the 

 water day and night, the breeding haunts are only entirely 

 deserted for a few weeks ; in February, even at the end of 

 January, a few reach the rocks, and laggards remain until 



